Recent history has witnessed an increase in research investigating the biology of thermophilic microorganisms. Their potential for use in process applications in biotechnology stems from their ability to grow at relatively high temperatures with attendant high metabolic rates, production of physically and chemically stable enzymes and elevated yields of associated end products (1). The emerging urgency to harness the power of these organisms in new industrial processes is a result of problems associated with noticeably diminishing resources of fossil fuels and food supplies and the proliferation of generated pollutants and wastes. Microbially based processes are thought to be an answer to these problems by efficient conversion of renewable wastes to useful chemicals and fuels. The reduction of pollutants generated from use of fossil fuels can be achieved by use instead of microbial energy.
Armed with such prospects, researchers have busied themselves with the study of thermophilic organisms (2 to 11) which, by deduction, would be expected to contribute stable, rapid and less expensive processes and would thus find useful applications in chemical feedstock and fuel production, bioconversion of wastes, enzyme technology and single cell protein production.
Specifically, attention has centered on bacterial species common to volcanic thermal spring ecosystems (12-17). Among those anaerobic species identified as active included Thermobacteroides acetoethylicus, Thermoanaerobium brockii and Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum.
In addition, attention has focused on species of the genus Clostridia (C.), notably C. thermocellum, C. thermohydrosulfuricum, C. thermosaccharolyticum, and C. thermoaceticum and distinct microbial properties and characteristics for them have been detailed (18-23).
Again, focus has centered on microbes which may find use in the industrial production of methane, ethanol or acetic acid, as examples from the broad compass of potential utilities. It is recognized that hydrolytic activity is of general importance to the degradation of organic matter and as biochemical agents of plant spoilage or pathogenesis (24-27). It follows that enzymes displaying such activity may find useful applications in the food processing and agricultural industries.
The present invention is founded on the goal of identifying and isolating a microorganism whose characteristics and activities would match those useful for specific exploitation in industry.
The publications and other materials hereof used to illuminate the background of the invention and, in particular instances, to provide additional details concerning its practice are incorporated herein by reference, and for convenience, are numerically referenced parenthetically in the following text and respectively grouped in the appended bibliography.